For Albion
by JoAT.Nat.MoN
Summary: Not having uttered a word since she had to choose to kill her childhood friend, the Princess just may find a new friend within the bright flame that is Benjamin Finn. And what does Theresa have to do with this? That Seeress is either up to no good, or she's doing it all for Albion. Ben/Princess
1. Mourningwood Fort

**Nat here with a new story that I've been working on for about two days now I think? I'm not sure where I want to go with this (when do I EVER?) but it's Ben/Princess and that's all I care about ^.^ After all, this is my answer to Fable III for not letting us marry Albion's Hottest Soldier. :T Read, enjoy, and be merry.**

_[-]_

"Swifty, I don't think we can last out much longer," Captain Benjamin Finn confessed, reloading his gun and shaking the bullets at the Major, fumbling with them when he almost dropped them. "These damned Hollow Men will tear us apart if we have to keep dealing with this. We've already lost some good men!"

"Still not quite night yet," Major Swift said, nodding his head and looking up at the sky. "The Hollow Men will be kept at bay at least for a couple of hours." He smiled over at the man and clapped him on the shoulder. "Makes ya wish you'd indulged more in drinking and other pleasures while you still could, eh?"

Ben shook his head. Ever since his little escapade years before, he'd not so much touched another woman. Or a drink. Sure, he figured that he was all talk, but he didn't mind much. After all, he'd end up dying if he had to spend another night fighting off the Hollow Men that plagued them in Mourningwood. And he knew Swifty was just kidding after all. He was the one who pulled Ben from the depths of the drink and the women.

He had titled it his 'Dark Ages' and left it at that. Soldiers around the fort asked for stories, but Ben only told the ones that lay dying. It was a common last wish for many the soldier around the fort to hear about their Captain's escapades, to live in his shoes at least once before heading out to the great beyond. Ben had already started writing a biography anyway, so at least they got to hear the same thing and he didn't leave out any of the...less than savory details.

It was Logan's bright idea to station them out in Mourningwood anyway, and Ben figured that they were the most powerful resistance that Logan could come up against at the moment. After all, the morale that Swifty could lift with just one speech was astonishing. If Logan left them in Bowerstone or at least a near equivalent, they would have a mob banging on his castle doors by sundown the next day.

Ben sighed to himself and took a seat on a barrel before starting to clean his gun. Might as well make sure it wouldn't jam on him mid-fight because that would surely be the last thing he would ever do. He'd go down fighting like a man, but he was still a young soldier compared to most, and he'd rather not die at all if he could help it. Ben would rather protect his fellow comrades though, and a jammed gun would be the death of the whole lot of them.

"Be you men or be you Hollow Men?" Ben's ears perked up and he looked over at Swifty. The man looked a little bit smug. Were they expecting company? Why wasn't he informed of this? "Open the gates!" Who would visit their little fort in Mourningwood? Walter strode through and a smile lit up on Ben's face, and then he got a good look at the person behind the old man. Ben stood up quickly, fumbling with his gun to keep it from hitting the ground after he just polished it.

Swifty grinned at Ben like a Cheshire cat. "Smooth, Captain. Smooth." He said teasingly with a wink in Ben's direction. "Walter old boy!" Major Swift moved over to the man quickly, clapping him on the shoulder. "Still living I see. How are things at the illustrious castle of our _beloved_ King? Still as fine as ever or have things changed for the better perhaps?"

Ben let their idle gossip fly over his head as he focused on the girl still standing close to Walter and looking around as if she had never seen a fort before. She was the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen. She was pale and had a fine sheen of sweat coating her face. No doubt she and Walter had a rough time getting here. She had her blonde hair up and back out of her face, her Setter at her side. A rifle and a sword were crossed at her back, and then he heard 'Hero.'

_Surely she's not a _Hero, _I mean, the old Hero king was the last one! Unless this is..._

"Major Swift, Captain Ben Finn, I'd like you to meet Jolene, Princess of Albion and a Hero like her father," Walter said with obvious pride in his voice as he placed his hands on his hips. "But for now think of her as another set of hands. She isn't afraid to do any kind of work, and she'll most likely exceed every test ya give her."

Jolene smiled at them and waved, indicating that she was ready for any kind of work they happened to be giving. As a little boy, Ben had seen pictures of the Princess floating around. He had to guess she was about twenty, with him being six years her senior. When the Hero king was still alive, little Jolene was his pride and joy, and he protected her no matter what. Ben slung his gun across his back again and caught Swifty's eye. The man was surely not going to let him forget fumbling up when the Princess stepped through the gate.

Taking care of the Princess fell to Logan when the old Hero king had died, and he had been taking care of her since. Though Logan had to be stopped now, and Jolene was more than up to taking the task. Ben figured it had to be hard on her to take on her brother, but he was a tyrant, and he had to be off the throne as quickly as possible. "Come on then," Ben said gesturing to Jolene with a smile. "Lemme show ya the mortar and Private Jammy, so named because he's the jammiest bastard in all of Albion."

Walter pulled Swift aside, watching Ben and Jolene head up the stairs. "She hasn't spoken a word since she had to have her childhood friend executed," Walter murmured gently, shaking his head. "Keep Ben on a reign will you? I know how rude he can be when he doesn't even realize it, especially when dealing with women. It's hard, not hearing her voice, since I've treated her like my own daughter after the Hero king died."

"I understand my friend," Swift said, placing a hand on Walter's shoulder. "I will tell Ben to exercise caution and restraint when near our beloved Princess. Though I don't think we'll have many problems old boy. Ben nearly dropped his gun when he saw her step through the gate. Yes, I believe he'll fall hard for her over time. I haven't seen him this peppy in...a long time."

Walter chuckled and eyed the Captain as he made the Princess smile widely. "If we're lucky, perhaps she'll find a friend in him. If we're luckier, she'll begin talking again. And if we're jammy bastards, then perhaps she'll fall for him as well. I think they could make a fine pair." He said, crossing his arms and nodding.

"Look at us, Walter," Swifty said with a laugh. "We're like old women tittering over our kids."

"Well I know you took Ben under your wing, and I have Jolene under mine," Walter explained with a grin. "Why shouldn't we be acting like this? Granted, the old women part just isn't right, but I've only got so much fight left in me. I think I'll retire after Logan is off the throne. Though I'll stay on with Jolene as a royal advisor. Something tells me she'll need it."

"You've done a fine job raising her you know," the Major said, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder and watching Jolene, Jammy, and Ben interact. "It couldn't have been easy to raise such a young girl when you were still in the army."

"It wasn't. But I made it, and she's everything I hoped she would be. And more."

_[-]_

Jolene listened to Jammy explain the finer workings on the mortar while patting her dog's head. Ben crossed his arms and focused on the Princess instead of Jammy's talking because he'd heard the mortar story a thousand times over from the jammy man. Her Setter seemed to notice Ben focusing on his mistress because he trotted over and sat down in front of the soldier, his tongue lolling out of his mouth as he canted his head. Smiling, Ben got down on one knee and scratched him behind the ears.

"What's his name?" He asked suddenly, glad for a break from Jammy's relentless information. Jolene looked rather uncomfortable as she gestured for her dog to come back to her

"His name is Gabriel!" Walter called up, cupping his hands around his mouth so he could be heard. Ben and Jolene both looked down at Walter. Jolene smiled down at him in relief while Ben stared down at him in confusion. Couldn't the Princess have answered him herself? Turning to her, he smiled.

"Gabriel huh? Like the angel?" He asked, receiving a nod in return. At least he knew what to call the dog now, but he was still wondering why Jolene wasn't speaking. She must have picked something up while they were traveling. Ben shook his head. He hated getting sicknesses, and it must suck, especially since she was the Princess and a Hero. But didn't Heroes have excellent healing powers?

"Right then!" Jammy said happily, interrupting Ben's inner monologue. "Go on and mount the mortar, and take out the scarecrows I've set up." Jolene nodded and moved to the big machine, firing a cannonball down at the first scarecrow. "Well done! Hit the other one now!" She moved over and did as she was told.

"Sharp shooting Tex," Ben said with a smile. "Take care of that last one, and we'll head back down to Swifty and Walter."

"Hang on," Jammy said, looking over at Ben in confusion. "I didn't set that one up."

Ben gripped the stone wall and looked closer as his fears were confirmed. That damned scarecrow was moving, and it looked mighty mean. Looking up at the sky, it was just getting dark too. "Hollow Men!" He exclaimed. "Jammy, you keep filling that mortar. Princess, if you will, please annihilate them. Swifty! We're gonna get some company!"

"Barricade the gates!" Swift called, assuming 'Major Mode'. "We don't want anything dead getting in here, especially if we all want to stay alive. Be ready to fight on a moments notice or you'll be dead before you can say shut up Ben!"

"Hey!"

"Shut up Ben!" Walter called, grinning over at Swifty. "Man I missed this." He drew his sword and stretched out his arms. "I haven't had a good fight since those Hobbes in that cavern. Let's take us out some Hollow Men."

They helped the men barricade the doors, Ben vaulting down to help while keeping a worried eye up on Jolene. It appeared she was doing quite well, since none of the Hollow Men had breached the gates as of yet. A cracking sound appeared to his right and he whipped his head over at the main gate just in time to see Aaron and Thomas crumble beneath it.

Shaking off the boards, they watched in horror as the wisps of the Hollow Men entered their fort again. Man if Ben never saw another Hollow Man again, he'd consider himself lucky. Jolene vaulted down and drew her weapon, smiling in pride at it. Ben gave her a confused look. It was just a weapon right? "That's the Bonecrusher boy," Walter murmured, smiling at the happy Jolene. "It takes down Hollow Men like they're made of toothpicks."

"I need to get me one of those," Ben said, drawing his own sword and watching the Hollow Men rise from the ground. He immediately jumped into battle, taking swings with his sword and parrying against the damn Hollow Men who happened to have the sharper blades in their hands. He jumped back to avoid a slash to the midsection before slicing a head off, watching the bones crumple into nothing.

He chanced a look over at the Princess who appeared to be doing just fine. She was even showing off some of her Will power as fire spurted from her hands to disintegrate the Hollow Men near her. "Look alive, Captain," Swifty said, taking out a Hollow Man that was about to lop Ben's head off. "Do try to keep your eyes from wandering?" Swift smirked at Ben before joining the skirmish again.

Ben rolled his eyes and joined his Major as they fought side by side in combat. "Can't a man appreciate a view?" Ben asked snarkily, slicing his sword over Swifty's head and taking out the Hollow Man he was aiming for.

"Not in the middle of battle I'm afraid," Swifty said, drawing his pistol and firing off a few rounds. "Although I'm sure looking at the Princess' bum draws your attention more than the Hollow Men..."

"Hey!"

"...we need you to stay alive!" Swift grinned at Ben and shot off another round before putting his pistol away. "Do try to keep your eyes on the prize and not on the Princess." Ben grumbled to himself, but threw himself into the battle with more intensity. He had paused to wipe at his forehead when he noticed a Hollow Man going for the jammy bastard.

"Jammy!" He called out, wincing when he was struck down. Slicing everything in his way, Ben slid to the ground on his knees next to the man.

"Not gonna make it this time I don't think Ben," Jammy said, holding his stomach as blood practically poured out of his wound and over his fingers. "Will ya tell me the story?"

"You've heard it a million times because I thought you were gonna die each time," Ben said reminding him and taking Jammy's hand before whipping out his rifle and squeezing off some shots to keep the Hollow Men at bay.

"Yeah that's true I guess," Jammy said, coughing into his shoulder. "Still can't believe you did all that though. Wish I was as jammy as you when it comes to that stuff."

"Perhaps some day you will be," Ben said quietly, staring down at his friend as the life faded from his eyes. Squeezing Jammy's lifeless hand, Ben set it gently on the ground. "I'm sure you'll live up to your namesake in the afterlife. I'll see you, friend."

Ben fought with renewed vigor, ending up slaying the last Hollow Man with the Princess. They both looked at each other and grinned before basking in the cheering that the fort had to offer. "Just like old times, Walter," Swifty crowed, sheathing his sword and placing his hands on his hips. "That was a lot of-"

The whole fort was silent as they saw a lone wisp whip across the field and dive into the grave of the recently deceased Lieutenant Simmons. "Lieutenant Simmons!" Swift cried, pulling out his sword when the man began to crawl out of the dirt that was his burial mound. "I specifically instructed you to remain buried!"

"Does nobody listen to orders anymore?" Ben exclaimed, pulling out his rifle and growling lowly to himself. Pausing in his shooting, he heard a voice whisper in his mind. _Cover your ears. Now. _Ben let his rifle hang from his shoulder as he covered his ears. Lieutenant Simmons let out a huge roar, putting everyone to sleep. Everyone, of course, except for Ben and the Princess.

"You ready Princess?" Ben asked, hoisting up his rifle and wiping at the blood on his face. "We're going to kick some Hollow Man ass."

_[-]_

Sitting in her chair, Theresa watched the Mourningwood Fort fight hard for their lives. The Hollow Men were surely a threat, but she knew they were more than capable of defeating them. It was designed that way. And when Lieutenant Simmons rose out of his grave, Theresa cupped her hands around her mouth and whispered, "Cover your ears. Now." She was pleased to see that the man had responded quickly, as if he had had the thought to cover his ears himself.

Rising from her seat, she went over to her little board she had designed. Some people called her evil, some called her the best thing that had ever happened to them. All she had to say was that she did not want to lose her home; her Albion. She had been living there for quite some time, and she had come to love the country as her own. She started Logan on the tyrant track for the betterment of Albion. After all, with the Princess on the throne, they might stand a chance.

Her Hero powers that she was born with decided early on that she would be destined for greatness, just like her father was before her. Theresa reminisced on the little broken body she had found in that alleyway, just like she knew she would. And she made sure to take the little Sparrow home and nurse it back to health. Take care of him, treasure him, and set him on the path that indeed led him to greatness. Yes, it was all for her Albion.

She moved the little Princess pawn to Mourningwood Fort, a smile curving upon her lips. The girl was doing well, if only she would speak! Theresa pulled forward her hood a little more and turned back to the large circle of magic that was playing out the battle for her like a movie. "Oh that indeed was a good move Benjamin Finn," she murmured. "Distracting the Hollow Men so Jolene can take out the big one. Yes, you will do quite well together."

She supposed it was rather cruel of her to possess Logan at the moment when his sister and her childhood friend broke in to the conversation. She had to teach the Princess that cruel choices had to be made, and Logan went along with it. Or at least, his subconscious did. After all, he thought it was his whole idea. Theresa knew the girl would sacrifice her friend because he asked her to save all those people. Jolene couldn't have let them be killed, and then the silly girl stopped talking after that.

Shaking her head, Theresa moved back to her chair and sat down in it. Yes, she had chosen the right pair to lead Albion to greatness. If only they would recognize each other's kindred spirits! The girl was too harmed by the death of her friend. Ben would have to be friends with her first before even making any sort of move. And having only just decided to start messing with his fate, she could do nothing but wince at the unsavory pleasures he had found for himself in Bloodstone.

"The past is the past," she sighed to herself, watching Jolene and Ben wake up the other men before heading over to help Walter and Major Swift up. She smiled slightly at the hug Jolene gave her mentor/father figure. "Time to look forward to a brighter future for all of Albion. All hail the Future King and Queen of Albion, Benjamin and Jolene Finn."

_[-]_

**Good first chapter? Yes, no? First off, there are some quotes that I used from Fable III, but other than that, I have left it up to my interpretation. Granted, I just played Fable III for like the third time last night, but there are just some details that escape me. This IS fanfiction, so I will be taking liberties with that as well. Secondly, I don't like this title, but it works right? I mean, it IS all for Albion. Anyway, read and be merry.**

**Nat**


	2. Another Night of Hollow Men

**Back with another chapter of For Albion! I appreciate the little mini support that I have received from my lone reviewer. xD Thank you so much for your kind words. If only the Fable fandom were more out there like Twilight and Harry Potter...oh well. Read and be merry. Also, don't forget to READ THE NOTE AT THE END! Thank you!**

_[-]_

The laughing and partying that were happening for the rest of the night was something that Jolene was basking in. The only soldier they had had to bury tonight was Jammy, but everyone really expected him to be dead long before he actually did. Still, as a fellow man in arms, they paid their respects. Ben did so the most, since he was more fond of the man than the others were. Jolene sat on a log, Gabriel at her feet, while she cleaned her Bonecrusher.

It was her favorite gun, and the best part about her having Hero genes was that using it made her taller. She had always been a bit small for a woman, barely even reaching over 5'3. Thanks to her use of guns, she was now a steady 5'7. She was smaller than all the men in her life, but at least she wasn't downright tiny. That was a little embarrassing for her growing up, since she had always dreamed about being a Hero. She just never thought she was cut out for the job. Gabriel raised his head and gave a small woof, greeting the man who sat down next to Jolene.

"You were a mighty fighter tonight, Princess," Swifty said, sticking his pipe in his mouth and blow the smoke away from her. "We always know that Ben likes to flourish his stories, but I do believe this one is quite true."

Jolene ducked her head at the compliment, smiling at the Major to let him know she was thankful for his kind words.

"I don't expect you to speak to me," Swifty said holding up a hand with a small smile. "Walter has informed me of your refusal to even utter a word since you were forced to make such a difficult sacrifice. But, my lady, sacrifices are made everyday. While this certain sacrifice has rocked your world as you know it, you must learn to move past it and look forward to the future."

Swift gently lifted the Princess's chin so she was looking at him. He noted the tears swimming in her eyes, and he nodded at her. "Yes. You have your father's eyes, and I'm sure you don't remember me and Walter taking care of you when he was rather ill do you?" Jolene gave him a confused look, causing him to chuckle. "Oh yes, you used to love Uncle Swifty and Uncle Walty. Granted, I did not stay long, but Walter was there with you as was your brother."

The Major watched Jolene's eyes harden at the mention of Logan, and Swifty removed his fingers, setting them on his leg. Yes, he did feel she was ready to take on her brother. She just needed more people behind her. "Have you ever thought about learning sign language?" He asked, taking another puff of his pipe.

Jolene shook her head. The way she saw it, let those who really knew her figure her out. Whoever didn't understand her wishes didn't need to know them. Swift smiled at her and flexed his fingers. "I haven't done the practice in years, but if you wish to learn, then I will teach you," he offered, rising from the log and patting her on the head. "You've made Uncle Swifty proud."

The Princess waved at him from her seat and smiled softly to herself. _Yes. I do remember you Uncle Swifty. And I also remember that scoundrel boy you had with you that was so much older than me. __Though he was younger than Logan. Could that have been...? _Jolene turned her head just enough to see Ben Finn taking some winnings from the card table. As if sensing an eye on him, Ben turned to see Jolene watching him. He offered her a grin, and she waved in return before looking back into the fire.

She set her hand on Gabriel's head, who woofed once more before someone sat down next to her for the second time that night. Instantly, she could tell who it was. The man always smelled like fresh pine and fatherhood; mainly of home in the castle when she closed her eyes and pictured it. "I'm so proud of you," he whispered, placing a hand on Jolene's head.

Jolene turned to look at him and smiled, tears in her eyes yet again. The first time was in sadness, but this time, they were tears of happiness. She was happy that she had made her father figure proud. She ducked her head slightly to accept the compliment from Walter.

"You've come so far in such a short time, and I couldn't be more proud of you," he said, removing his hand from her head. "I asked Swifty to come talk to you about the sacrifices that have to be made sometimes to get things done."

Seeing the angry look in Jolene's eyes, Walter held up a hand. He waited for the ire in her eyes to die down, and he didn't begin to speak again until she was poking him in the arm, wanting to know what he meant. A small smile graced his lips as he took one of Jolene's hands within both of his.

"The first thing is that by choosing Elliot over the ringleaders, they subconsciously know you are now devoted to their cause. By giving up your betrothed, your childhood friend, they have seen what sacrifices you are willing to make for the good of Albion. Secondly, such sacrifices might have to be made in the near future. Because you have to overthrow your brother, people _are_ going to die. What if Elliot was perhaps caught in some crossfire when we finally begin the battle for the throne? He would die a horrible death. At least, with Logan, you know he made it a swift one."

Jolene looked down at her own small hand dwarfed by Walter's huge ones. She could feel the callouses from so much sword fighting and the work he had done for himself and the royal family over the years. Pulling her hand from Walter's, she used both of them to frame his face and stare steadily in his eyes. She shook her head, conveying to him that she was not yet ready to speak. She had gone this far, and she could go farther yet.

Sighing to himself, Walter placed his hands on hers and removed them from his face. He squeezed them gently before letting them go. "I understand," he said quietly. "At least this way you can mourn in your own peace. You know I would do anything to see you happy and on that throne, and I would also do anything to hear your beautiful little voice again, little Sparrow."

Jolene smiled at him, shaking her head. She hadn't heard that nickname in forever. It was always what Walter and her father called her, since she was the one who took after him the most. Jolene placed a finger to her lips with a grin. _Someday soon, Walter. Someday, this little Sparrow will sing again._

_[-]_

"_My beautiful little Sparrow," the Hero king rasped, holding out his hand for his young daughter. She was only five, while his own son was fifteen. "Come here and let me hear you sing." Jolene crawled up on the huge bed that her father was on before sitting on her knees and waiting for him to decide. "Sing me the ballad about the Bird and the Flower."_

_Jolene smiled at her father. How did he know that was her favorite one? But he was not up to the task to hum in the background needed for her voice. Gesturing over to her older brother, she pleaded with him using her eyes before finally his stoic face cracked enough to show the fifteen year old boy he was. He went over to Jolene's side of the bed and placed a hand on her shoulder before he began to hum lightly._

_It was just the accompaniment she needed. Closing her eyes, she softly sang about the little Sparrow and the Rose who were left on their own at such young ages. How they fought trial and tribulation with the Rose trying to find some ways to keep her little bird fed. And one sad night, the Rose wilted and was trampled by hatred. The Sparrow was flung out the window into the cold world on his own, only to be nursed back to health and sent on his way again. But when he went out into the world for the second time, he was ready for any challenge it sent his way._

"_Well done," Sparrow murmured, smiling at both his children. "Logan, thank you for helping out your sister. I know you have other duties to attend to that deal with our kingdom." Logan bowed to his father and moved to leave the room. He paused with his hand on the door frame, before he offered a smile to his sister and continued on his way._

"_My little Sparrow, you do know that story is about me don't you?"_

"_What do you mean, Daddy?"_

"_I was the Sparrow, and your Aunt Rose was, of course, the Rose. It was an evil man that tore us away from each other by killing her and trying to kill me. But I was found by a Blind Seeress, and I trained and grew up to be the Hero I am today with her help." The king said, pulling his daughter into a hug. "Never lose who you are as you grow up."_

"_I won't, Daddy."_

"_Now, how about you fetch Jasper? I could do with a little tea if he doesn't mind."_

"_Okay, Daddy!" Jolene exclaimed, moving off the bed carefully and racing out into the corridor._

_The old Hero king sighed to himself and looked to the right. He extended his hand, and Theresa was there to meet it with her own. "You have done myself and Albion proud with all of your adventures, young Sparrow. You have brought tranquility to this land, but you will not see it fall to chaos within the coming years."_

"_Always so cryptic, Theresa," Sparrow said with a laugh, coughing into his free hand. "Are you here to take me to the great beyond now?" Theresa squeezed his hand with a slight smile on her face._

"_Not today Sparrow, but you know your time draws near. Your daughter is the Hero the world needs. I will help make it so."_

"_She will suffer heartbreak and loss," the king said, hearing footsteps come down the hall. "She won't ever be ready for that. She's too kind of a soul. But you will break her before you can make her won't you?"_

_The king didn't receive a response, nor did he expect one. At the end of his sentence, the weight from Theresa's hand had already disappeared._

_[-]_

Jolene's eyes snapped open, and she sat up before rubbing at her forehead. She wasn't present for that conversation with her father and Theresa, and yet she knew every word. She wondered if that was her Hero genes, or if perhaps Theresa was offering some more tidbits into herself and Jolene's father. He was taken from her less than a month after she sang that ballad to him. Focusing back on the present, she saw that the fire had died out and everyone was either snoring or entirely silent in their passed out state. She looked around to make sure that everyone was indeed sleeping before she touched her guild seal. The interesting thing about it all was that when a Hero was within the Sanctuary, time outside stood still.

If she so wanted to, Jolene could spend all amounts of time reading and practicing in there to get her ready for the upcoming battle for the throne. But it would certainly get boring eventually. Materializing next to the map, she caused Jasper to throw the book he was reading. "My lady," he said, holding a hand to his chest.

Jolene grinned at him, laughing silently before moving over to pick up the book he threw. Handing it back to him, Jasper cleared his throat. "Welcome back to the Sanctuary, your highness," he said with a smile. "Anything I can help with?"

She bit the inside of her cheek before gesturing to her clothes. She had gone with a woman's mercenary outfit for the fights in Mourningwood Fort, but they were stained with blood and torn. They also had some sort of dust on them that she figured was from the Hollow Men. Ground up bone, or something of the like.

"Ah yes, you must want a new change of clothes. Your princess outfit is completely clean and sewn up." Seeing the face she made, Jasper laughed. "Not the froufrou one, my lady. The one that can be run around in." Clapping her hands together happily, Jolene made her way into the clothing room. She had always loved her practical princess outfit, and it was the last one that Elliot had seen her in. She might as well wear it as much as possible since she felt it brought them closer together, even in death.

Jasper stood by silently as Jolene stared at the outfit on the mannequin. "I understand your want to wear that particular outfit, my lady," he said quietly, smiling softly at her. "I do not blame you in the slightest. Go on and change, and I'll take that silly garb when you're done." Jolene nodded and took the outfit to behind the changing area.

She donned her practical Princess outfit quickly, giving the woman's mercenary one to Jasper who looked at it all with disdain. "At least this place seems to magically repair and remove stains," he sniffed, carefully putting the outfit on the mannequin. Jolene watched him fumble with not touching any blood, amused by his reaction. "Honestly, I would never know how to get all the blood out. Or...other such stains that you might acquire on your adventures."

They returned to the main room, and Jolene reached for her guild seal to return her to the outside world again. "My lady?" Her hand stilled as she looked up at Jasper. He seemed to be struggling to say something before sighing. "Do be careful." Jolene's eyes scrunched up a bit as she smiled. _Always, Jasper._ She placed her hand on the guild seal and found herself still in her bedroll. The only difference was that she was wearing different clothing, and she was more awake now.

Sighing to herself, she got up quietly and moved to the stairs, unaware that a pair of bright blue eyes that stood out in the darkness were following her every move. Moving up near where she was shooting the mortar earlier, she leaned on the stone and looked out in the distance. It appeared that the Hollow Men had suffered a big blow tonight so there were no strays wondering about. Nighttime bugs were even chirping, when they would be silent as the grave if the dead skeletons were nearby.

Her dog sauntered up to her, pushing his head under her hand. Smiling down at him, she scratched him behind the ears. _Can I be a ruler, boy? Can I be the ruler that they want? What if I mess up and end up like Logan? He used to be so kind..._

"Bullet for your thoughts?" Ben said, sidling up to the Princess and smiling at her.

Jolene quirked her lips to hide her surprise at Ben's ability to sneak up on her. To sneak up on a Hero no less. Oh, if only he knew her thoughts. She laid her arms on the stone and looked back to the horizon wondering if she would be lucky enough to see a sunrise. She was nearly lost in her inner musings once more until Ben spoke again.

"I heard Swifty and Sir Walter talking to you," he murmured softly, holding out a hand for her to take. Watching him cautiously, she took his hand. "I can understand the pain of losing a loved one, trust me. And while it's not the same as your situation, I'd just like you to know that I'm here for you. I understand I'm just a lowly soldier of course, and you're a soon to be Queen, but I've learned that it helps to have a friend to rely on.

"You have your dubbed Uncle Swifty and Uncle Walty, along with Gabriel your angel over here. Sure, they're your friends, but they're more like mentors and guardians. We could be friends, if you would like. And while I wouldn't replace the one you lost, at least I can ease some of your burden. Besides, who wouldn't want to be friends with this devilishly handsome soldier?"

Jolene rolled her eyes. _Swing and a miss._ She smiled and nodded to him after mulling it over. Yes, she would very much like a friend. She definitely needed one, even though she wasn't going to have much to contribute to a conversation. She was very touched by his speech, until the last part that is. Grinning to herself, she pretended to look past him and when he turned to see what had caught her attention, she punched his shoulder.

"Ow," he whined, holding his shoulder. "That really hurt, especially since you're a Hero. Is this how you treat your friends?" Jolene grinned and pointed at Ben. "Oh, so it's only me your going to treat like this? Well, I can always say that you're hitting on me to ease my pain."

Jolene huffed silently and turned away from Ben, but took his hand when he offered it again. She smiled and straightened up, pointing out into the distance when she saw the sun rising. Jolene had never seen a view of the sunrise from the castle and with her and Walter always getting into trouble on their adventure, she hadn't had the time to stop and just bask in the beauty. While she was watching the sky turn lighter and brighter, Ben was staring at her face, smiling to himself.

_Her sheer awe at a sunrise is adorable. It's times like these that make her seem like she doesn't have the weight of Albion on her shoulders. _He had seen this look on her face before. Twice, in fact. The first time was when she walked into the fort and looked around as innocent as anything, taking in the whole atmosphere. And the second time was when he was taking night duty and watching her sleep. Her whole face was relaxed then, until she woke up.

Gabriel placed his paws up on the stone wall and watched the sunrise with his mistress, his tongue hanging out of his mouth as he panted softly. Behind the Princess and the Captain, Walter was stirring in his bedroll. Yawning softly as he stood up, his eyes were drawn up to the two people standing up watching the sun rise. And their hands were joined together. Sneaking over the Swifty's bedroll, Walter kicked him softly, forcing the man to snort awake and look up at Walter.

"What in blazes-" Swifty quieted down when Walter put a finger to his lips and gestured up to the two young people up at the top of the fort. Swifty stood and blinked his eyes to remove any bleariness before grinning over at Walter. They moved to the dark of the fort, near the back, and just watched Jolene and Ben quietly. They could hear him speaking in soft tones, and Jolene was either shaking her head, nodding, or hitting him on the shoulder.

"Step one complete," Walter muttered over to Swifty. "You weren't kidding when you said he turned gentleman. I didn't think it was possible, but Jolene isn't getting pissed at him. Or stomping off after he tried to cop some kind of feel."

"I told you that I can work miracles, Walter old boy," Swift said with a low chuckle. The Major felt he was a good role model for Ben as the boy got older. "Besides, he's getting hit isn't he? That means some of the old Finn charm is still lurking in there somewhere. Do you think our speeches worked?"

Ignoring that last part for the moment, Walter crossed his arms. "We were never able to see a sunrise because of the way the castle was situated. And with me and her always on the run, we never had time to simply just stand and enjoy the warmth of a new day. There's probably some lesson to be learned somewhere in there, but it's really just too damn early."

"A new sunrise is always a plus for us," Swift offered with a shrug. "After all, it means that we've survived another day to tell the tale of the Famous Swift Brigade facing off against the Hallow Men in their fated Mourningwood Fort."

Walter grinned at his friend and clapped him on the shoulder. "Jolene left the castle, figuratively bleeding from the loss of her friend. And now we leave Mourningwood Fort with that wound at least a little repaired by her new one."

"Did Jolene love that noble boy?"

"She understood her duty," Walter replied, staring up at the young couple. "It was a secured contract when they were born, and they had become childhood friends either way. I'm sure she did love him, and they were actually debating on a wedding date the day before the mob showed up at the castle. Jolene wanted a Spring wedding, while Elliot was trying to convince her to decide on a Fall wedding. If she didn't love him at that point, she would have had all the time in the world after they were married to fall for him completely."

"Why don't you both stay another night," Swifty said, turning to his friend with a smile. "We could use a couple of extra hands building up our defenses again, and it's a guarantee we'll live to see tomorrow's sunrise if we have Sir Walter and a Hero Princess on our side."

"We talked about that old woman and the matchmaking thing," Walter warned Swifty with a raised eyebrow.

"Why I wasn't even referring to bringing the Princess and Ben closer together," Swift said, placing a hand on his chest in mock horror. "I just thought that a close and personal friend of mine would love to see me live to fight another day."

"Lying sod," Walter said, chuckling at his friend's antics. "But yes, we can afford to spend another day here helping out out. We'll set out tomorrow morning. Bowerstone will be our destination."

_[-]_

Jolene pulled her rifle from her back and stared at Walter. They were outside of the Fort, training for a time. After she and Ben had turned away from the sun rise, they found Swifty and Walter staring at them with grins. Jolene broke their contact and vaulted down in front of the two men, saluting them with a slightly mocking smile. All morning, she and Walter had been helping out with preparing the defenses for another night.

She got a chance to show off her Hero strength when she was able to carry a large beam by herself. Ben and Swifty watched, astonished, and she put it up on her own as well to barricade the door. Walter just chuckled to himself at their expressions, having seen this feat of power many times over from her father and Jolene herself. Walter tossed up three disks in the air, and Jolene shot each of them before they hit the ground.

"Good eye, my lady. Three more. Ready...go!"

This continued on for a while until Jolene gestured she needed a break. They leaned against some trees and watched the hustle and bustle inside of the Fort. "Did I ever tell you how Swifty found Ben?" Walter asked, smiling at her. Jolene stared at him with a confused expression on her face before she shook her head.

"He visited his hometown and dressed like a local. Challenged Ben to a shooting contest since him and his brothers were running it. Ben laid Swifty out. Beat him easily, and Swift was convinced Ben needed to join his fleet when the boy was older. He lost his whole family at a young age you know, but that's a story for another time. Swifty took the boy in, taught him how to fight with swords. You were only five when Swifty visited with Ben, which means that he was eleven at the time, and Logan was fifteen.

"Ben got older and as he did, he got more rebellious. Even went out to Bloodstone just to defy Swifty. Can't tell ya what he got so angry about, but well, you know the reputation at Bloodstone. Came back when he was about your age. Told Swift he was sorry, and that he missed the old Brigade. Within a couple of months, he became Captain. That was six years ago or so. Swift really laid him out when the boy came back though. Gave him the sword fight of his life, claiming he taught the boy better." Walter shook his head. "Swifty will have to tell ya the rest."

Jolene hopped up and bounced her way into the fort, finding Swift giving orders before tugging on his sleeve. He finished up what he wanted his men to do before smiling over at Jolene. "And what can I do for you, my lady?"

She pointed to him and then to Ben who was helping some other soldiers make more defenses for the Fort. Swifty's eyes grew puzzled before they flashed with recognition. "Ah so the old boy told you about how I found Ben? Where did he stop at?"

Jolene grasped her sword and pretended to engage in a battle. "The sword fight eh? Yes, right. I gave that boy a what for. You know what Bloodstone is all about. Drinking, fighting, women, even more drinking, and then more women. I thought I had lost my Ben, but he came back like a dog with his tail between his legs. I knew he would of course, but he surely didn't make it easy on me, no sir! Told him he couldn't use his gun, and we would sword fight until one of us gave up. Nearly gave up quite a few times myself, but I gave him a number of wounds as he did to me. Told him I taught him better than that. I especially taught him to treat women better than that and to stay away from the more unsavory pleasures." Swifty explained, placing his hands on his hips and looking over at Ben.

Jolene made a slight face at the sound of this 'Bloodstone'. She had heard of it and the rumors, of course, but she nary thought they were true. However by the sound of it, they were, and it was ten times worse than she thought.

"Finally he gave up, and I refused to take him to get healed. Told him if he can run off and defy me, then he can run off and get his own wounds tended to. I feel he's become more gentlemanly because of this, and he certainly doesn't say a bad word about women so much anymore. Sure, we all take to the drink once in a while, but he never gets drunk. He remembers his days from before, and he would not like to have a repeat performance. Or a repeat sword fight."

Swift placed a hand on Jolene's head, and she looked up at him. She was learning new stuff everyday about her Uncle Swifty and Walter, along with her new friend Ben too. It also seemed as if Theresa was giving her little tidbits of time with her father as well in her dreams.

"Curious lass aren't ya?" Swifty chuckled before turning to look at Ben who was sneezing up a storm. "Captain Finn! Are you allergic to something or is somebody talking about you?"

"Not sure, Swifty!" Ben called back, sneezing a couple more times. "My reputation must be pretty damn popular because I'm sure _all_ the ladies are talking about me!" Swift rolled his eyes at his Captain before turning back to Jolene.

"Real nice friend you snagged there," he said with a snicker. "In all seriousness, Ben is a good friend to have Princess. Now go on. I do believe you still have to do some Will training with Walter yes? I think that will be quite a show to see." Jolene shook her head, but moved out of the Fort to go and see Walter again.

_It actually won't be Uncle Swifty. I've got to work on control again and meditate. _Jolene thought to herself, smiling over at Walter when she returned to him.

"Got your answer did you? Good. I knew it would peak your inquisitive side." Walter said, pulling a candle out of his pocket. "You know what to do." Jolene pouted but took the candle, sitting down cross legged on the ground. She put her hand above the wick and concentrated on lighting that one little thing. And not blowing up the whole candle.

Sticking her tongue out of her mouth, she pushed out a little bit of her magic and...exploded the whole candle. She sighed silently and looked up at Walter who was struggling not to laugh. "Let's try some lightning now alright?"

Jolene rolled her eyes but switched gauntlets, the shock giving her a little jump as she put it on. It was always one of her favorites. Walter held out his hand. "Now, I want you to give me a little shock. Try not to kill me alright?" She stared up at her mentor wide-eyed before shaking her head. "Just do it, Jolene."

She made a mad face at him, but held her hand above his and closed her eyes. She could feel her magic just rising up to the surface, but she pushed it down, selecting just a little bit. She guided it into the gauntlet and opened her eyes to see herself give Walter just a little shock.

"Balls!" He exclaimed, clutching at his hand but flexing his fingers all the same. "I know that was a tiny shock, but...balls!" Jolene grinned wildly at him and switched over to her ice gauntlet before taking Walter's hand and letting him feel the coolness. "Ahh that's much better. It seems the only one you really need to master is that bleeding fireball one."

Jolene pointed to the sky and noted the sun falling low in the sky. Walter followed her finger and nodded, taking her hand and leading her back to the Fort. They wouldn't want to be trapped outside with all the Hollow Men when night fell.

_[-]_

The early points of the night were spent driving the Hollow Men right where they belonged: to the ground. There were less and less to defeat as the night wore on, as if they all sensed that they wouldn't get the kills they wanted because of Jolene. Eventually, they just stopped coming, and the whole Fort breathed a sigh of relief.

"You sure know how to use that gun, Jolene," Ben said as he stepped up next to her with a smile. "I'd say you're the best shooter, but I think that falls to a rather cunning and handsome soldier by the name of Benjamin Finn."

Jolene stared at him evenly before focusing on something behind him. When he turned to look, she punched him in the shoulder and walked away. "Ow!" Jolene grinned to herself happily as she went over to Major Swift who was smoking his pipe again.

"How would you feel up to becoming a soldier here?" He said with a wink. "The Swift Brigade could use a gal like you, Princess. I'm sure you'd be able to straighten them all up into fighting machines. Course, they wouldn't be able to use Will like you can, but at least you can fight them into submission with your sword. Or even out shoot them to show them that you can indeed tussle with the best of them."

Jolene stared at her 'Uncle' with a smile on her face before he pulled at his mustache and sighed. "Yes well. Perhaps we should get this revolution up and running first eh?" Jolene nodded enthusiastically and it was her turn to pat a rather downtrodden Swifty on the head. Walter came over to Swift as Jolene went to play with Gabriel.

"Sometimes she's more mature than all of us," Walter commented, crossing his arms. "And then the next, she's a playful young girl again. I don't understand how she can do it."

"Women genes?" Swifty offered, straightening up next to his friend and shrugging. "I suppose you see her as a young girl because she is not speaking? Or perhaps it's just your wish to once again see that little girl running up to you yelling Uncle Swifty and Uncle Walty. Avo, she was adorable when she was so young."

"That she was my friend. On his death bed, the old Hero king told me that his daughter would be the Hero to replace him. She was quick to memorize and sing all the tales of the king, and he caught her lighting random stuff on fire by accident. Granted, the gauntlets are supposed to be used with magic, but the Will comes from inside the Hero. The gauntlet just channels it out at the proper times." Walter said, smiling to himself.

"She's an amazing warrior."

"And she'll be an even more amazing Queen."

_[-]_

**Some things to address here:**

**One: My Benjamin Finn is more gentlemanly. I explain the use of this because Swifty was pining to get him into the army since he was at a young age. After all the deaths of his family (at a rather younger time than the original Fable III time-line) Swifty took Ben in and visited the castle where his friend[Walter] was watching over the Prince and Princess. Jolene remembers this point in time. _Jolene was five, Ben was eleven, and Logan was fifteen. So now they are twenty, twenty-six, and thirty, in that order._**

**Two: Yes, you will still get to see the snarky Ben as I have portrayed him a bit here. He will still boast about his kills and the like when we get to Bowerstone. Just wait. I'm still debating on whether to kill off Swifty or not since he is one of my favorite characters. Let me know what you guys think.**

**Three: I believe the power of Will comes from the Hero him/herself. Think of it like Harry Potter. It _is_ possible to use wandless magic, but the wand is what helps the magic through. The same thing with the gauntlets the Hero wears. The old Hero king found Jolene lighting random stuff on fire due to her accidental Will leakage.**

**Four: The old Hero king calls Jolene his Little Sparrow because she is a Hero like himself, and she has a wonderful voice (possibly inherited from her Aunt or Mother). I made up the ballad that she sang, and I just explained what she sang since _I have no lyrics_. I _might make lyrics_ if you guys really want some.**

**Five: I really do believe that as long as a Hero is situated within the Sanctuary, time stops outside. Especially since that really happens in the game. And Jasper is quite happy to note that the outfits repair and wash themselves while in the room so the Hero can come get them at any time. It IS fanfiction after all.**

**Six(and possibly the most important): Jolene thinks that Logan had Elliot executed because of her choice. Should I make it so he seemed to have him executed when he didn't or should I just make it so he was executed like originally planned? Let me know what you think.**

**Sorry for the long note guys! Happy reading and stay merry,**

**Nat**


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